The Experiences of a Bandmaster

A presidential request for music the band has left behind becomes a test of quick thinking in John Philip Sousa's recollections of conducting. Drawing on eighteen years of public performance, he recounts occasions at the White House, civic celebrations and crowded concerts. When President Arthur asks for the Cachuca, a cornet player remembers the melody, and Sousa rapidly writes parts so the band can meet the request. Other anecdotes describe musical preferences in presidential households and the careful timing of a wedding march.

The stories also follow the unpredictable life of a performing band. A huge audience joins in familiar songs at the Chicago World's Fair, missing music turns up inside an instrument, and a fire alarm draws a town's concertgoers away. During a lighting failure in St. Louis, familiar tunes help calm the crowd. This brief memoir offers readers interested in music a conductor's practical view of preparation, improvisation and audience response.